AVERAGE
by Kuroi In a Black Hole
Summary: Naruto. Enigma Mystery Strong Powerful Smart Genius Cold Merciless Sarcastic Ruthless Dark. This is the boy he has become. Traded on power. Raised to be the perfect weapon. Will this unstable child find what has been lost, or will he destroy everything? - Discontinued. Will take down unless someone wants to adopt.
1. Prolouge: Past of Pasts

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Alright, look, i am currently revamping a few chapters of this story cause i was on a long hiatus and needed to. so, along with an update, you should get a newish kind of story that incorporates more of the characters i wanna use. So, first things first:

Disclaimer: Since we all put these up here, even though it IS , and we obviously don't own the plot line or the characters, I must say, if i did own the Naruto, that little blonde brat would be less annoying and Itachi would have more screen time and wouldn't be killed by that ignorant prick that he calls a brother.

SO, on with the revamping!!

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"Are you sure about this

"Are you sure about this? He is your only child…are you willing to sacrifice him for….for _this_?"

"Yes, we are. We know the consequences. We know the risks. This is our only option. Besides, it is not as if he will be out of our reach. If he encounters something that may kill him, we will help him however we may. He is the only one who can possibly survive such a sealing required of this…this monstrosity. We know," A second, feminine voice said, steady and unwavering. The first voice, male and ancient, sighed.

"And you? You are willing to comply?"

"My wife knows what is right and what is wrong. He will be where we may watch him grow, and I trust the human male to take care of him. He is honorable, if foolhardy."

"The possibility of this human male's death is reasonably assured. Your child is the only heir we have. If he is gone, what will we do?" A rustling indicated the movement of cloth as one of the speakers moved.

"The human male may die, but the old one will not let any damaging harm befall him. He will be a child, and children are sacred in the human world," the female commented. Her husband squeezed her shoulder lightly. She placed a hand on his and they turned in unison to witness the one thing they lived for. Their son, born just that day.

"I will place a seal on him, one that will release when he is thirteen, technically grown in this world. He will be our child, our heir. May the world see that." The male's light footsteps, too light, flowed across the floor and stopped next to the third male in the room. He placed a gentle hand on the baby and whispered a few words. A soft, gold light glowed brightly before dimming, then vanishing. "He is protected now. He will remain in human appearance until his thirteenth birthday. Now, go, deliver the human realm's savior. We will watch from here." The male said. The third one nodded, then vanished, soft mist covering his exit. The man and woman, shrouded in shadows, stood side by side, hands clasped.

"You are certain this was the right thing to do?" the woman whispered. The man nodded.

"Yes, it is. He will be the greatest of us, but first he must be tried and tested. We may watch, intervene if he is in immense danger, but we may not show ourselves till he is sixteen. You know the rules. We must save the human world by sacrificing our son. Let us hope he will be cared for well, that the human male can hold off the great evil till he arrives, and that he will grow up to be great himself. That is all we can do." And they turned to each other and held on tight. It was all they could do, and they cursed the world.

They say that a child is a precious being, meant to be cared for and nurtured. Someone that has all the potential and only lacks the skill; a brand new mold to be shaped. Children are supposed to grow up innocent, naïve. It seems that I missed the memo.

I scoff at these people. They have obviously never met me. You may be wondering, what is so different, so special about me. Well then, let me tell you.

I was born Kazuma Uzumaki Naruto. My supposed father sacrificed himself to save his village, sealing a demon inside his own, once again supposed, son, me. From birth, I was raised to become the perfect weapon, the emotionless killer, the demon that haunts nightmares and preys on the wicked, a fairy tale told to young children to keep them good. I am not human. This is my story.

Sarutobi looked down at the small bundle of blankets in his arms, a wriggling child wrapped inside. Bright, deep sapphire eyes peered back at him, unblinking. The Sandaime sighed. This child of Arashi's, if it was even his, was unnerving. Not a peep had emerged from the boy since the moment the former hokage had placed him in his arms before dying.

"Well, Naruto, I guess we might as well get moving. Your father wished you to be trained as a shinobi. We'll respect his dying request." The newly reinstated hokage shuffled towards the tower, baby Naruto in his arms.

The carnage behind him stretched the length of the battlefield. Trees were toppled, and bodies lay in oddly contorted positions, kunai, shuriken and katanas strewn about, broken, misshapen and covered in blood.

Somewhere else

"So the trial begins. He is sealed away and the babe is to be trained to fight. The best we can hope for."

"You are certain this is what is right for him?"

"What else can we do? Watch and wait is our best plan, since the gate is close for at least sixteen more years. Grow strong Naruto. You will be great, son of mine."

Hokage Tower

A three man squad of ANBU stood in the hokage's office, masks removed, eyes downcast. The had just lost their beloved Yondaime and Konohagakure no Sato was in chaos. The hokage stood at the desk, face drawn, eyes hard. The small bundle of blankets moved suddenly, and every eye was drawn to it.

"Hokage-sama, what is that?" one of the men asked, gesturing to Naruto.

"This is your new assignment." Gasps were heard, albeit soft ones, around the room.

"What? A child? Are you joking? Sir." He tacked on dutifully.

"No, Homoida-san. Naruto is now your responsibility. You three will raise, care and train him. Naruto is the Yondaime's infant son, container of the Kyuubi No Yoko. Kazuma Uzumaki Naruto," The hokage whispered. The bundle squirmed again, as if he knew he was being talked about.

"May I see him, Hokage-sama?" the only female in the trio asked. Naruto switched hands and was now cradled in the arms if a petite, brown haired, green eyed young woman.

"Careful, Sayuka-san," Homoida muttered, peering over her shoulder.

Naruto's bright blue eyes stared back up at them, wide and unfazed. Three whisker marks marred each cheek and his face possessed little baby fat.

"He's so adorable," Sayuka nearly squealed, hugging the child close. Her two companions and the hokage covered snorts. She glared at them.

"Well, Sayuka, Akida, Hojuka, you understand your mission? He is an S-class secret. I will visit when I can." The three nodded affirmative and vanished. The hokage sighed. "This is the best I can do, Arashi," he murmured, staring at the wreaked landscape. "I hope it will be enough for him."

Sharp, coal black eyes darted around the surrounding, as of yet unfamiliar to them. They took in every detail, miniscule to grandiose. A pale face, common throughout the child's family, sported these unforgiving eyes, thinned lips and straight nose. This face belonged to a boy, no older than ten. A boy of genius that was almost unrivaled at the time. And he walked with a self-assurance that didn't come just from ability, but pride in that ability. Pride which was well earned.

At the moment, however, the present environment he was traversing was one that was not only strange, but filled to the brim with chakra, seething alive as if a behemoth lived within its walls. The wood floor, rice-paper doors and even the light fixtures were holding power. He was in awe, awe of the sheer amount of power that was stored. The entire building was made for defense, to protect whoever was within the walls.

He seriously doubted that anyone would ever get past these defenses.

A whistle, light and nearly imperceptible, filtered through his senses, and he turned his head to stare sharply at the direction it had come from. Directly in his line of sight was a young boy, no older than four, with blonde hair and bright blue eyes. He was staring at him with curiously, almost as if he were dissecting his soul. He stared back into bright blue orbs. Be wouldn't back down from a child.

The boy didn't turn either, and he realized that he had stopped walking, and so had his guide.

"Itachi-san?" the young man in front of him said, turning back to look at the Uchiha. "Is something wrong?"

Itachi pointed vaguely over at the child. "Are children really allowed inside ANBU headquarters?" the man smiled slightly, unperturbed by the stare that was now directed in at him.

"Well, I would say that the little one there is our most promising shinobi. He is part of us, Itachi-san." Itachi gave him an incredulous look.

"What? He's so little though…" Itachi was interrupted by a sharp pain in the middle of his forehead, and reached up to find a long, thin piece of wood where skin should have been. He plucked the senbon out, staring nonplussed at the weapon in his hand.

"Itachi-san, you're an Uchiha, aren't you?" the boy said, hand still out. Itachi shifted his eyes between the boy and the man, noticing that the latter did not looked surprised at all.

The most he could do was stare for a moment, before unhinging his mouth and speaking. "Well, I suppose I am. How did you know?"

A smile appeared on the child's almost tan face. "Because, all of them stare at me the exact same way, like they're trying to burn a hole through my forehead without a jutsu. And that prissy air around you. Dead give away." Itachi almost dropped the senbon, and his jaw, on the ground. His guide was chuckling.

"Alright Naruto, I think you've had your fun. Go find Sayuka-san before she comes and drills me into the ground for letting you run around again.

The boy, Naruto, starred impishly up at the man. "But she's trying to get Hoju-nii-sama off the ceiling, Aki-nii-sama." His smile grew. "Hoju-nii-sama was sleeping and so I took him and put him on the ceiling. I don't think Sayu-nee-sama is gonna get him down any time soon." The man groaned.

"Naruto! Why would you do that? Hojuka is going to plant you ten feet underground when he gets down if Sayuka doesn't kill you first!" He put his head in his hands, moaning.

"I know. That's how come I'm avoiding them and all. Well, bye Aki-nii-sama!" With this last exclamation, Naruto raced off down the corridor at high speed. Not a moment later, a woman, bright green eyes and a shock of dark black-green hair came storming out the door Naruto had just left, face red and eyes popping. Itachi stayed frozen. It still hadn't quite sunk in yet what had just transpired, and this woman came in, obviously furious. She turned those eyes on Itachi, and he froze. The killer intent was enormous and he found himself praying that this wasn't that Sayuka person. Naruto would most definitely be killed if it were.

"Akida…where…is…Naruto?" Her breathing was deliberately calm. Akida quickly pointed in the direction the blonde child had run, trying to smother his laughter. "Thank you. I think it's about time that little brat learned some manners. When I'm done, I'll make sure to send you whatever is left of him to train this afternoon. Goodbye." And with that said, the woman stormed off down the hall, voice raising in her search for the elusive blonde.

"Uh, Akida-san, who was that just now?"

"The boy or the woman?"

"Both."

"The woman is one of the members of my squad and about as pleasant as Anko-san is on a bad day." Itachi winced at the memory of the crazy dango girl. "The child….well, he's someone that would make your genius mind look like an academy dead-last. And it would seem like he managed to get himself into trouble again."

"And why would he be in ANBU headquarters?"

"Because, Itachi-san, he will end up being your new partner. He is an ANBU trainee, as you are. But I wouldn't let the age fool you. He's probably just as powerful as you are in what he specializes in."

"He can't be any older than my little brother though….and so much stronger."

"He doesn't have the muscle mass, but he had speed, agility, stamina and a mind that matches yours and probably surpasses it. He is a prodigy unknown to this land. I wouldn't underestimate him." Itachi could only nod as Akida began moving again, and he could only follow as he was led to the room where they would sort out all the details. And he even managed to ignore the brown haired man still strung up on the ceiling, for about thirty seconds. Then, with a helpless sigh, he began to laugh as Akida and the other man traded identical, weary grins.

"He got you good this time Hojuka. What did he do to you?" The man, Hojuka, grumbled.

"That brat paralyzed me, trussed me up in wire and hoisted me up to the ceiling with some sort of pulley. Then, for kami _knows_ what reason, he glued the wires to the ceiling with his chakra! With his chakra! Since when did we show him _that?_ Cause whoever did is getting a beating right after I get down!" Akida laughed at his friend.

"Once more, he got you good man." Itachi stared, amused, as his eyes found those spots that were, indeed, 'glued' to the ceiling with chakra. It was ingenious, he reasoned. The boy managed to get around his diminutive size and tie an ANBU to the ceiling. Maybe he wouldn't he that bad to train with after all. 'As long as,' Itachi reasoned, 'I too don't get tied to the ceiling.'

"Just you wait gaki," Hojuka said, glaring at the still chuckling Itachi. "He'll get you too soon enough." Before Itachi could reply, a voice bellowed through the compound.

"NARUTO! YOU JUST WAIT TILL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU! I'M GOING TO BEAT YOUR ASS SO HARD YOU AREN'T GOING TO BE SITTING FOR A MONTH!" All three men shuddered.

"GOTTA CATCH ME FIRST SAYU-OBAA-CHAN!" came the laughing voice of Naruto. A ripple of pure killing intent rolled through the room, and every ANBU froze.

A unanimous, "Oh shit." echoed from just about every person's mouth. Just as a loud 'THWAM' followed. Akida and Hojuka hung their heads.

"We'll make sure we leave some nice flowers on your grave, Naruto," Akida said through fits of held-back laughter.

"Read you a pretty poem too."

Itachi stared. And wondered just what kind of job he had signed up for.

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Okay, so it's a bit different. but i like it. it's interesting and rather amusing. poor naruto's gonna get himself killed. Alright, flashbacks in the next chappie!! (i probably don't deserve reviews, considering how long it took me to update this, but please??)

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	2. Prologue 2: Growing Up

Hey, look, I'm actually getting these up at a decent rate! (not that i didn't already have them typed up and ready to go for a while now...-.-') Anyway, enjoy the new chappy!! a little bit is different, though not too much.

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The hokage picked up a thick manila folder, one of two on the desk, the name, Naruto Uzumaki, on the front

The hokage picked up a thick manila folder, one of two on the desk, the name, _Naruto Uzumaki, _on the front. He sighed deeply and opened it up, the face of a boy, no more than ten, looking out at him. It wasn't even a recent picture. He glanced at the information below, information only he was privy to.

**Name**: Uzumaki Naruto

**Age**: Twelve

**Height**: 5' 3"

**Weight**: 105 lbs

**Rank**: Unknown. Keeps to himself and has yet to show his true potential. Suspicions of being several well known lone powerful shinobi have all ended with rather dismal failure. Unable to be confirmed.

**Skills**:

Taijustu: Unknown but strong and extremely effective

Genjutsu: Excellent

Ninjutsu: unknown but strong

Kenjustu: Good, on par with some of the best.

Doujustu: unknown.

Speed is unmatchable, brilliant at strategies, able to reconstruct a battle with only minimal information, stamina and chakra control beyond excellent. Some concerns as to his sanity, Kyuubi. On suicide watch. He was genetically and physically modified between the ages of five and ten by a Dr. Hirogenshi. Now is an advisor and strategist for the council, the brains behind:

Twenty Damio assassinations.

Twenty seven invasions

Fifty high rank assassinations

Three massacres, was the one who carried them out

Main A-S class mission planner.

Other strategies and plans.

**Missions Completed**:

D-fifty

C-twenty two

B-eighteen

A-thirty

S-Classified information

SS-classified information

**Gennin**: three

**Chunnin**: four

**Jounin**: Unknown, ages five to eight

**ANBU**: officially joined at age ten. Now captain.

**Hunter-nin**: age ten.

**Intelligence**: Proclaimed genius, IQ is abnormally high. Fragile mind, cold and distant. Only listens to the Hokage, opinionated but keeps to himself. Youngest known Seal Master, though he has yet to actually be registered as one, creates spare justu in his time alone.

**Other Information**: Lives alone, under henge, says he has been able to talk to Kyuubi no Yoko since the age of six, trained by three ANBU until five and a half years of age, the personalized training by Dr. Hirogenshi until ten. Trained himself from scrolls after that. Has lived under a mask since nine years old. Acts as a prankster in the village, dead last of his class. Only interacts when necessary.

Sarutobi sighed again, not even bothering to read the rest, just details on his missions. Very few shinobi acquire the reputation he has garnered at the end of their lifetime. He was twelve and already strong and mysterious.

The second manila folder ended up in his hands and he looked at the name. _Owari Kubaru_. This was one person no one had any information on. He was powerful, insanely so, abnormally strong, worked alone, cold and unforgiving. He had destroyed some of the most powerful rouge shinobi in Fire Country. And he just happened to be in the employ of the hokage (for an insane amount of money), though even him, the hokage, never knew exactly who he was. He never actually saw his face. A single page fell out and he glanced at it.

**Name**: Unknown, Alias is Owari Kubaru

**Age**: N/A

**Height**: estimated at a little over five feet.

**Weight**: N/A

**Rank**: ANBU black ops, lone hunter nin, secret weapon, code name: Owari Kubaru. Known to other villages in the Bingo Book as an SS-class nin. Recommendation is to run.

**Skills**:

Taijutsu: Unknown

Genjutsu: unknown

Ninjutsu: Unknown

Kenjutsu: Unknown (uses a dual sided katana, supposedly)

Doujutsu: unknown

Strong, nearly unmatchable power, efficient, works silently and deadly. Few ever see him again if they are marked for death. Only the Akatsuki have a hope against him, a few other strong shinobi. All recommendations are to run and avoid being caught.

Sarutobi sighed and wondered, once again, who Owari Kubaru was. He was an enigma and he almost considered asking Naruto when he came by. Speaking of Naruto, he scanned the boy's page once more, out of curiosity, to find that one excerpt he was looking for.

**Unusual features**: Strange tattoo on his upper back in the shape of a set of wings, turquoise eyes, tail (cat), ears (cat) and a strange chakra. Not human or demon chakra, other than the sealed Kyuubi chakra, it is instead gold and constantly shifting. Unusual and unidentified.

That had been a day to remember, when he had found out about that. The Sandaime thought back to those early years. He had time before Naruto reported back in. A stroll down memory lane was due anyway. It would let him forget about the paperwork at least.

_First Years_

_Naruto's first year consisted of the usual baby routine, feeding, clothing, changing and basically taking care of the young boy, with a few abnormalities. _

_He walked on his own when he was seven months old, talked before he was a year, and began getting into his protectors weapons despite barriers. So, after group consensus, watched by a chibi-Naruto in a soft black night shirt, the three decided to train him now instead of wait until he was old enough to start experimenting on his own, which would lead to disastrous results._

_From the time he could walk, Naruto was conditioned. He was subjected to running to build stamina, pushups and sit-ups for muscle, and basic taijutsu to improve skill. It was quite comical, really, to see a short, effeminate baby running in circles and working out beyond his limits. When he hit three, his stamina nearly surpassed his mentors and Sayuka pouted about losing to her little brother, to which Naruto tugged on her pants and solemnly replied that she didn't have a little brother. Sayuka's jaw dropped and poor little Naruto was sent to run laps until she calmed down. Hojuka and Akida shook their heads. Naruto was way too serious for a tthree year old. And too literal. _

_His weapon training formally began when he was two and a half, old enough to hold the kunai and shurikan in tiny hands. One would think, logically, that this would be relatively impossible, that he would cut himself on the edges and he wouldn't have the strength to hold them, nonetheless throw them. However, his conditioning had proven effective and he was able to throw them. They did, however, fall short of the mark, much to the confusion of little Naruto. Curiously, he picked them back up, repositioned himself, and released once more. Only one hit the tree, and just at the bottom. His three ANBU protectors chuckled as he tried again and again, steadily improving as the hours whittled past. His gold-blonde hair was soon flattened to his skull, pale skin flush, blue eyes focused on the target and only the target. When darkness finally descended, he had been at it nearly twelve hours and he had hit the mark a total of seven times. He only left at the behest of the three and his own exhaustion. _

_He was three when his chakra control exercises were introduced, of which included the expansion of his workout routine. Added to the hour long running he had, the nearby tree, which was also his weapons target, became his new path. He was told to concentrate a small amount of chakra to his feet ad attempt to climb the tree with no hands. A puzzled but compliant Naruto tried this, managing seven steps before he fell. The automatic stubbornness took over and he tried again and again. _

_Three-and-a-half was an age where his ANBU trainers pondered over anything else they could teach him that wouldn't harm his growing body. Sighing, they decided on the henge jutsu, and Naruto quickly grasped the concept, perfecting it within the day. He practiced it out, mischievously pulling innumerable pranks on the three. They didn't seem to care, as long as Naruto was acting more his age than an older, mature child. He was only four. Not the solemn, wise child he behaved as. It was a refreshing experience. Other, basic jutsu, such as kawarimi, bushin (quickly changed to kage bushin when his clones blew up) and a few kazu, katon, doton and mizu techniques, many of which were grasped instantly. Raikon was reserved for when he wasn't blowing things up._

_He was four when the three finally decided that Naruto needed someone else to practice with, and possibly another victim. His pranks had caused mass havoc on the entire ANBU division, and more than once had some nin or other found themselves attached to the ceiling, wall, floor or door, unable to see, neon colors, mute, underground or upside down that they had decided that enough was enough. A new person needed to be subjected to the torture. Thus, in came Itachi. The stoic Uchiha was Naruto's partner in training, and though the older boy knew more jutsu, was stronger and had the advantage of the Sharingan, against the small four year old, most of it came to nothing in the pro column. Naruto was simply either too fast or just plain sneaky to get caught in a simple jutsu, and the small amount of taijustu he did know was put to deadly effectiveness. Chakra-enhanced kicks and punches can cause enough pain if delivered correctly. Itachi soon learned not to let his guard down around the boy. _

_Naruto and Itachi bonded quickly enough, though the older was always just a bit distant. They enjoyed sparring, neither having a clear upper hand, each winning and losing equally. Itachi, older and more experienced, was the youngest to become a full fledged ANBU in much of Konoha's history, though he was certain that the position would be given up when Naruto grew just a bit more. _

_The three ANBU who watched him were amazed at his progress. No one would ever expect such a young child to know so much, to be on par with some of the best in the business. He may not be experienced, know many jutsu, but his potential and his ability were enormous. Even the usually quite and impossible Itachi was impressed. _

_The hokage stopped by every so often when to check up on him and watch his progress. Even he was amazed at the child. His speed was tremendous, his stamina unmatchable among those within his generation, his power high for a five year old and he excelled at chakra techniques. Now, the Sandaime realized, he knew that it was time for a check up on Naruto's furry friend. _

_Five Years Old_

_"Naruto-chan? Can you come here a minute?" Naruto paused in his exercises, releasing the last of his shuriken and turned towards the hokage. _

_"Hai, hokage-sama? Is there something I can do for you?" he said politely, much older sounding than his looks betrayed. Sarutobi raised an eyebrow but nodded nonetheless. _

_"Yes there is. If you would come with me?" he held out a hand. Naruto examined it carefully, like a wary cat. His blue eyes were searching and probing. _

_"Let me ask Sakuya-nee-sama if it is okay for me to leave first, hokage-sama. One moment." He bowed and ran off inside, coming out moments later with a jacket on and a solemn expression. "Hai, hokage-sama. I may accompany you." The Sandaime looked wonderingly at the child. He was polite to a fault. The hokage sighed and thought that there was little he could do about that. He led the child out of the compound, onto the streets of Konoha, and towards Hokage Tower. Naruto followed, silent and patient, and Sarutobi wondered if any child was capable of doing such a thing. He glanced back to make sure the boy was still there and breathed deeply when he was. The boy was trouble just waiting to happen; he knew it. _

_The two entered the hokage's office and the old man shut the door behind them, gesturing for Naruto to sit down in a chair. The young boy did, not even fidgeting. It was slightly disturbing. Sandaime settled behind his desk and stared at the boy, eyes wondering. They sat in silence for a few minutes, Naruto waiting for the hokage to initiate conversation. He just stared with bright, intelligent blue eyes, unmoving. Sarutobi cleared his throat, then spoke. _

"_Naruto, I have a question for you. You know what chakra is, right?" The boy nodded. _

"_Chakra is the combination of spiritual and physical energy manifested inside the body and applied through the use of hand seals to perform jutsus. Chakra can also be directed to certain portions of the body, such as the feet, hands, eyes or any tenketsus to increase strength, power, physical abilities, activate doujutsu or improve the senses." He sounded like an encyclopedia. _

"_Uh, very thorough description, Naruto-kun. What do you know of the types of chakra?" He was especially curious of this one. A puzzled expression flitted across the boy's face, the only sign of human emotions, before he replied. _

"_There are two basic types of chakras. Human and demon. Human chakra is blue while demon chakra is red. Demon chakra is expressly more powerful than human chakra and thus much more dangerous. There is one other type of chakra." The hokage leaned in, confused. This was not the explanation he was looking for but it was interesting nonetheless. One other? "A hybrid demon-human chakra that naturally is purple. This chakra is rare and extremely flexible, powerful and strange. Half demon chakra has not been thoroughly researched and thus that is all I know of it in the short version." The hokage whistled. He hadn't been expecting that one. He didn't even think the child knew what the types of chakra were in the first place, though he was thinking more along the lines of the elements. _

"_Thank you. Now, I would ask you to come here for a moment, please. I need to check on something." Naruto climbed to his feet and walked over. Sarutobi placed a hand on Naruto's stomach. _

"_You need to check on the Kyuubi, ne Hokage-sama," he said calmly. _

_Sarutobi jerked back, then nodded resignedly. "Yes, Naruto-kun, I do. Please stay still for me." Naruto complied and the hokage concentrated a small amount of blue chakra around the seal. It flared, coming to life, and Sarutobi caught a glimpse of gold before he was, quite literally, sent flying. He slammed into the desk, knocking it over and sending all his paperwork flying. He grinned inwardly at the sight. No more paperwork for him! When a concerned Naruto tapped him on the shoulder, he looked up into the boy's face. It was blank but still, somehow, concerned. _

"_Hokage-sama, daijubo desu ka?" _

"_Hai Naruto-kun. Daijubo." He climbed to his feet, wobbling slightly. He wasn't all too used to the sensation of being tossed backwards anymore; he wasn't the spry young thing he had been. "I'm alright, but what about you?" _

"_I am fine, hokage-sama. Do you need me any further?" he raised blue eyes to the hokage's. "I have training to finish and would appreciate it if I could return." Sandaime sighed. _

"_Alright Naruto, but return in a month. I have someone who wants to meet you. He will become your new trainer." He received nothing but a polite nod. _

"_The will of the Hokage is my will." He said, and vanished._

"_I'm getting to old for this. Why did you leave such a heavy burden on me, Arashi? Why?" No answer was given. _

Sarutobi sighed, one in a long string of such actions. Naruto had been such an unusual boy. Polite and distant for the most part (although he had loosened up a bit after Itachi had arrived to train with him). Maybe placing him with ANBU might have been a bad idea, in retrospect. Then again, what he was like now didn't even begin to compare. The Naruto now was cold, cynical, sarcastic, merciless, ruthless, powerful, and had his own skewed honor code. He didn't even bother with the polite anymore. He had seen far too much in his short lifetime to be polite. While Sarutobi was still hokage-sama, it was said mockingly; as if Naruto knew some huge secret that he didn't know. And the Sandaime wouldn't put it past the boy. Naruto was a genius, and a genius caught certain signs all too quickly. He was pretty sure Naruto was the one behind many of the plans for high ranking missions, the schemes of the counsel to acquisition land and reign in profits to Konoha. He couldn't prove it, but he had his suspicions. Like the time he had found the boy around his tenth birthday, in an underground lab. His mind flashed back into the past once more.

_He had gotten a tip about the lab not three hours ago and had set off immediately. He was almost sure Naruto, with that strange chakra sign of his, was down there and he was determined to find out. _

_The halls were relatively slime free, something new in caves. The floor was clean as well. Only a few stalactites protruded from the ceiling. He dodged swiftly around them, desperate to find Naruto. The boy had disappeared with doctor Hirogenshi five years ago and since then he hadn't seen him. Now it was way beyond time to find out what had happened. _

_He stumbled sideways, into a room that he hadn't previously noticed and laid eyes upon the most alluring sight he had seen. _

_It was the young, pain filled face of a boy, no more than ten, looking up at him with little remorse and almost no emotions. He was pale with a light bronze sheen, turquoise eyes slitted down the middle, fine, pale blond hair, pointed ears, pointed canines, an elf-like chin and a smooth face. The rest of his body was covered by a cream tank-top and black pants, black sandals completing the outfit as well as a round belt around his waist, black with white streaks, creating a muddled gray in some areas, beautiful all in all. A pair of small, kitten-like ears were nestled into his hair and moved independently of the human looking ones. Pockets littered the pants, no doubt filled with weaponry. The boy had nothing in his hands, however. _

"_Naruto?" he choked, spotting the whisker marks, now more defined, on each cheek. Naruto smirked softly. _

"_Wow, you remember me. I'm amazed. It's been, what, five years since you left me in the hands of that psychopath. Ready to take the reigns again, Hokage-sama?" he said softly, mockingly. Sarutobi winced. "Ready to regulate the training of the ultimate weapon who could top any of your current jounin at the age of ten? Ready for me?" _

"_Naruto….what did he do to you?" he gasped. Naruto hadn't been nearly so cold when he last saw him._

_Naruto remained smirking. "You really want to know?" He nodded. "Don't blame me if you get nightmares then." Naruto took a deep breath. "I was five when I came here. Hirogenshi waited until I was six to begin the first transfusions and manipulations of my genetic structure. The first time he did, I was in so much pain I retreated to my mind. There, I met Kyuubi. He trained me mentally when the physical aspects of my experiments were taking place. I knew all human and demon handseals by the time I was seven and could summon enough of my chakra, which happens to be gold, by the way, to occupy my time. Between experiments, when I was to weak for anything but chakra training, I would make up my own jutsu's, practice them, and create my own handseals. It's not that hard. All that is required is a proficient amount of chakra and concentration. But here's where the fun begins. I was seven when I took my first life. Hirogenshi had increased my natural speed and precision, my accuracy and senses and supposedly introduced a string of mutated cat DNA into my already over worked body. That's where the coloring, hair, teeth, ears, eyes and tail come from. I became an expert in manipulating chakra, painting, and my taijutsu was advanced exponentially. But you want to know how he managed to get me, a willful, stubborn, child to do such things? To be able to experiment on me weekly, to dig around inside my body with syringes and needles?" _

_The hokage was almost afraid to find out, but he nodded. Naruto let out a malicious smirk, lifted his wrists and exposed a burned area of skin on both arms. Numerous cuts, thin and hairlike, went down his veins. "Electric wrist cuffs and ankle cuffs. A whip, if you wish to see my back. Kyuubi healed as much as possible but even he has limits. I was lucky I didn't die. And you know the real clincher? It was until I was seven that I believed you had wanted me to do this, that the lies of the former Dr. Hirogenshi were true. You wanted me to be so powerful no being in the world would stop me. I only found out quite recently that I was his own little pet project. Until then, after I stopped thinking that this was on your order, I hoped you would save me. I was a child and optimistic. I now know better. You are my superior, nothing more, nothing less. No matter how much I hate you, I am bound to obey. A little weapon for you, a little inhuman weapon, though already knew the inhuman part." Naruto's voice remained calm throughout the entire speech. His eyes remained blank. Only that smile, one that was as cold as ice, sent shivers down Sarutobi's spine. _

"_Hai, Naruto, I did. I knew since you were five. I didn't know what you were, but you are not human." He raised a hand to forestall any emerging comments. "I don't care, you are still one of my people and I will protect you. I will always protect you." Naruto glared. _

"_Damn you old man. You didn't inform me because you found nothing particular about that whole event important enough to mention to me?" The hokage cringed. Naruto sighed. "What the hell. I could use the money if I worked for you anyway. I have no choice in the matter, really. You are, of course, the reigning leader and I must obey your commands, ne Hokage-sama?" A stoic boy, the hokage realized, had just cornered him into making a decision he hadn't wanted to make. He had cleverly outmaneuvered the old man into a wall with the guilt trip, and he had the choice of making Naruto part of his force of nin or letting him go as a civilian and into the academy with other children his age. The latter didn't seem all to inviting. _

"_I'll see what I can do to get you into ANBU. I highly doubt the council's going to let you in, but it's worth a shot." A sudden chuckled from the bronze-bathed boy had the hokage looking at him. "What?"_

"_Oh, don't worry about the council. They'll like me fine. I guarantee it. If that is your wish, hogake-sama." He stood up, now at a height of five foot and an inch, his tail waving lazily in the air, the only sign of emotion he seemed to show. Taller than he'd been when he'd vanished. They left, Naruto under cover of a henge, and returned to the tower where Naruto had a long talk with the council members, of which involved a few threats, some burning papers, and a couple bruises, all at the hands of one rather self-satisfied boy. And that was the day Naruto had joined ANBU, at the cost of applying his genius to problems involving Konohagakure no Sato and its surrounding territory, missions and assassinations, or even the reconstruction of events. And it was that day his mind broke further and further, to the point that Kyuubi was holding it together with strands of duct tape a mile long to keep it from shattering at the slightest jar. It was amazing. One of the most powerful people in the village had a mind on the cusp of breaking and was being held together by a demon deemed evil by the very village it was trying to protect. Naruto was as full of contradictions as stars in the sky. _

Sarutobi was jerked from his trip down memory lane when a shadow glided into his office from the window. He straightened, only knowing one person who could do that. "Ah, Naruto, you've returned. Have you completed your assignment?" The shadow nodded.

"As ordered, the rebel faction known as Gistuya-Inu has been wiped out. All fifty dead." He sounded emotionless, as if telling someone how much spice to put in a cake rather than a report on number dead. Sandaime sighed deeply.

"Naruto, I have a proposition for you." The blond's head jerked up. Sarutobi took it as a sign of listening. "Tomorrow, when you take the genin exams again, pass them. I want to place you on a team with someone I believe may be a problem in the future. I want you to prevent his possible outbreak of mass genocide or defection. Ranked-A, probably higher."

"You will is my will, _hokage-sama_," he said the age old line mockingly, before vanishing in a swirl of that odd light that seemed to hang around him. The hokage leaned back in his chair, tipping the wide brimmed hokage hat forward on his head. The paperwork that had been piling up since that morning remained, untouched, on his desk. Naruto was an issue that would not be settled well, he suspected. The boy was smart, manipulative, and about to crash and burn. This mission was for more that to stop a possible future threat. It was to help Naruto regain some of his old humanity back, to find the little joy in life he used to have, when he was polite and respectful, before the hokage had made that fateful mistake. He hoped he could reverse it now.

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Alright, prologues done! the chapters are more or less the same from here on out though! enjoy! and a new chapter too!! BMF

Review please?? i love reviews!! (even though i probably don't deserve them...:-(...)


	3. Hajime! Start of the Mission

**Kuroi is Back! (BMF)** Here's the next chapter! Hope you enjoy! Oh, and if anyone wants anything translated then let me know!!

Alright, I am pretty sure this is more or less the same, but I am not really too sure. Most of these were revamped quite a while ago so…..-.-'…..yeah…hehe. Enjoy though! Thanks so much!

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Naruto returned to the shabby apartment he called home, entering through the window like any good shinobi. Why use a perfectly good door when a rusted window would do? Anyway, he landed soundlessly on the floor, removed his long, trench coat and set it on the back of a worn out couch, one of the few items of furniture visible. Across from the couch was a chair, and a table, wobbly with papers piling up on top, sat between them. Naruto figured getting good furniture would be a waste of money since the villagers had habit of plundering his house every other week or so. One of the reasons his paintings weren't out there. They were too valuable to leave in the open.

Heading down the hallway, towards a seemingly blank wall, Naruto paused at the end, raising his hands and forming the necessary signs. The wall wavered and a door appeared. Naruto opened it swiftly and replaced the genjutsu before anyone else had an inkling of what it could possibly be. He turned and looked upon his masterpieces.

There were, on average, about fifty paintings in this room alone, many of dark visions, foreboding messages and rather gruesome scenes. A few were calm and gentle, or as gentle as a whirlwind, cloud mass, and lightning storm get. They were among the largest, alongside a picture of a blazing fire and a fissure in the earth. A forest took up the largest space, and Naruto stepped up to that one, peering up at the rather detailed piece of art. Greens, oranges, yellows and browns were mixed expertly, creating illusions of shadows and a picturesque forest. A single path, nearly invisible, wound through the forest. Naruto stood in front of it, staring fondly at the picture.

_Kyu-kun, you remember when I made these? _He whispered in his mind, awakening the demon. Kyuubi grumbled.

**Of course, kit, I'll always remember when you made these little worlds of yours. Rather ingenious, if I say so myself**_**. **_His deep voice filled the cavernous space in which he resided. Naruto smiled softly.

_Yeah, I know._ With a sudden seriousness, he flashed through a long series of seals, then, with a flash of gold, the white-blond haired boy placed a hand on the painting of the forest and morphed into it, into his own world of his own creation. He stepped into an alternate dimension, one that no one else could create and his best invention to date.

The world itself was complete forest. All trees hundreds of feet tall in some places. It was the perfect place to relax and meditate, or train and perfect his taijutsu and kenjutsu. Where he didn't have to hide behind masks and dampen his abilities. He could be himself, with no holds barred. He smiled widely, spinning in a full circle as he marveled in the elegance of his world, something he never tired of, ever. The beauty of something that he created, something that took on a life of its own and grew of its own accord was something to behold in awe.

Naruto himself looked at home. His short, choppy white-blonde hair, pale, gold-dusted skin, the turquoise cat eyes, the small frame well built with muscles, the curiously shaped ears and the extra kitten ears on top of his head, small, thin mouth, the pointed chin, all gave him the look of one who belonged in that world. He still wore the tight black shirt, loose black pants and black boots, his holster tied to the small of his back. Two sword sheaths crisscrossed the holster, a third right down the center, nearly reaching his knees. The hilts were within easy reach of his seemingly delicate hands. His tail was hard to distinguish from the fabric around his waist but it was there, wrapped tightly so as not to get in the way. Naruto gratefully undid the appendage and it swayed, happy.

With a small twirl, he flung his hands outward and smiled widely, truly, relaxing. He dropped like a stone and landed on the soft, green grass, laughing softly. He was happy, truly happy in the only place he would, he could. He lay there a moment, just looking up at the canopy and staring. The faint light from places unknown filtered through the leaves, casting a halo around Naruto. The boy, no more than twelve, closed his eyes briefly, running through a series of mental seals. They were the only ones that worked for this particular jutsu, one that would create a temporary, corporeal body for Kyuubi, one he could use to train Naruto, fight with him and teach him the points of being shinobi. His concentration was wholly required for this jutsu, as well as part of his chakra reserves.

Gold light flitted around him as he focused intensely on one form, the form of Kyuubi, the human form. A swirl of light, bright gold, formed a vortex in mid air, solidifying in the shape of a man, then flashing to color. Kyuubi grinned and stretched his muscles, glad to be free of his confinement, even if it was only temporary.

One would think that such a fierce demon would be much more frightening, tall and imposing with a shock of red hair that was the same color as his fur. On would not be expecting the form the

Kyuubi did inhabit. He was short, probably only a few years older than Naruto himself. His hair was not red, as was thought, but a sandy brown with streaks the color of fading leaves. His eyes were not blood red, as they had been when he was in demon form, but a lively gold, and his skin was a dark tan. Three whiskers, like Naruto's, marred each cheek and enhanced the childishness that he was inherent of. His height just barely topped his containers. Not the look you would have expected from a demon. He was centuries old and looked like a child. Even Naruto snorted.

"I still can't believe how much you look like a child Kyu-kun." Kyuubi glared.

"Hmph, say whatever you like. Remember, I've taught you all you know, kit. Deal."

"You still look like a kid. How old did you say you were? Fourteen?"

"I am four hundred and fifteen, thank you very much!" Kyuubi huffed, turning away from Naruto and facing a far tree in the clearing. Naruto smirked, taking to his feet and crossing to Kyuubi.

"You act like you're a teenager. Couldn't really tell the difference," he teased. Kyuubi glared at him with piercing gold eyes bleeding to red. Naruto held up his hands in surrender. "Kidding kidding, jeez. Can't you take a joke?"

"I am not a _child_," he spat distastefully. Naruto snickered softly.

"Sure, not with the way you're acting. You are so not a child." Naruto rolled his eyes. Kyuubi glared at him.

"Let's just get down to the training. Swords first, Naru-chan." Naruto glowered but pulled the longest sword from its sheath and held it lightly in one hand, falling into a comfortable stance. He brandished his sword, bright silver with a dark, blue strip running down the edge, at the demon-boy, who carried a long, black sword, almost as dark as the night Kyuubi represented with ferocity. The white-blond boy smiled sarcastically at his friend and, with a small nod, vanished like the wind. Kyuubi raised an eyebrow then lazily lifted the sword above his head, blocking the predictable first attack. Naruto once again vanished, Kyuubi following him. The only signs of fighting were the sounds of swords clashing, bark falling, leaves suddenly ending up in half, and branches landing on the ground after meeting an early end at the hands of the two sword-masters.

"KYUUBI! THAT'S CHEATING!" Naruto screamed, hitting the ground on his butt, glaring up at the demon who sat on a branch out of easy reach. Kyuubi, who looked rather self-satisfied, smirked down.

"You're a ninja in training. Of course someone's going to cheat. Not everyone plays fair," he uttered. Naruto resumed his glare-of-death that would put any self-righteous Uchiha to shame. Kyuubi merely snickered.

"That was a cheap shot and you know it. Any hit below the belt is ALWAYS a cheap shot. Cheater," Naruto muttered. He stood up and dusted his hands off on his newly ripped pants, sporting a long gash down the inner thigh, stretching towards the groin. A line of blood ran down his leg, staining his clothes as Naruto sent another glare towards Kyuubi. "No more mister nice guy," he said, smiling sadistically. His katana went back into its sheath and his hands gripped the hilts of the two smaller swords. They slid effortlessly out of the sheaths and were held lightly in his grasp. He grinned again and sprung upwards with inhuman grace and strength towards Kyuubi. He swung downwards with one sword and was blocked by Kyuubi. He twisted his body sideways and shifted grips. One sword went towards Kyuubi's head, the other his legs. The demon jumped, slicing sideways and flipping to avoid Naruto's sword. The boy cursed and fell, landing on his feet. His eyes flashed to Kyuubi's, then he leapt again.

His swords were a blur as he leaped, swinging them horizontally cross-body. Kyuubi cursed and jumped sideways, narrowly avoiding being sliced in half. He twisted and took a chance at Naruto's back, and was surprised when Naruto avoided the swing and flipped over the blade, landing behind him and scoring down his side before he moved. Kyuubi grimaced and jumped to a different branch. Naruto smiled.

"Wanna call this a tie and move on before we manage to cut each other into pieces?" Naruto asked. Kyuubi smiled and pointed at Naruto's neck.

"No, I won." Naruto swiped a finger across his skin, looked at it and stifled a particularly nasty curse. A long gash, neither deep nor life-threatening but definitely bleeding, marred his neck.

"Damn it! I never win against you!! How can I beat up high class nins and still not win against you?" His ears and tail twitched, annoyed. Kyuubi smirked.

"Those high class nins of yours don't have over four-hundred years of experience. I do. Moot point." Kyuubi shrugged, unconcerned. Naruto growled but reluctantly put his swords away. He shook his head, the choppy white-blonde hair now out of his eyes. The cat-like eyes stared around, eyeing the surrounding trees before taking the sheaths off his back and laying them on the ground. Kyuubi joined him and they sat in silence, the pair of teens looking right at home.

Kyuubi was silent for a time before he spoke. "So, what are you going to do about tomorrow? The genin exams are tomorrow and Hokage-sama ordered you to pass them." Naruto closed his eyes and leaned back, hands holding his head up.

"I have no idea, though I do have to pass them now. Nothing to do but pass them anyway. If he hadn't ordered me to, I would have this time around. I'm getting sick and tired of the academy. And this kid who might defect sounds interesting. Something new to do, I guess. The only thing I'm gonna hate is the D-ranked missions. That cat will get payback this time around," Naruto huffed. Kyuubi smiled in whole-hearted agreement. He hated that cat with a passion.

"I think I remember that cat when I came to Konoha. Left a pretty little scratch right across my nose." Kyuubi rubbed the appendage with a slender hand, frowning. Naruto gave him a bland stare.

"How did that abomination get close enough to scratch a ninety story demon's nose and still escape with its life?" Kyuubi grimaced.

"That thing has been around since the first time I visited this wretched village nearly three hundred years ago. I think the hokage cursed the beast." Naruto wouldn't put it past the old man, any of them, using some ancient jutsu to give the horrid thing immortality just to torture genin. Silence reigned and it was several minutes before either one spoke. "So, Naruto, ready for the genin exam?"

Naruto snorted. "As if I wouldn't be. The genin in Konoha are too weak to do anything of importance. If they don't understand the principle of live or die than they do not deserve to live. If my group is too weak then I will remedy that as soon as possible. I will not be assigned to a group unable to hold their own in a battle, and if they are unable to do as I ask of them, then they will be killed." Kyuubi shrugged.

"Whatever floats your rather screwed up boat kid. Actually, I think your boat's sinking so whatever bails the water faster out of your boat." Naruto sent him another half-hearted glare before climbing to his feet and stretching.

"Kyuubi, you can stay in the painting for the night if you wish. I need to get up earlier than normal to go to class so I can take the exams. I hate early mornings unless I'm going to bed then. Oyasumi Kyuubi," he said as he morphed out of the painting and leaving the fox demon behind to resign himself to his nightly ritual. Grasping the edges of Naruto's mind again and pulling it in tighter. The kid had little left but tatters and fragile pieces that cannot withstand another betrayal like the one he suffered at the hands of the hokage. He acted tough, was physically extraordinary, but if he was forsaken for some ungodly reason or something happened that he had not expected, his powers would lash out, destroying everything in a two mile radius of his person. Kyuubi had the job of a lifetime, holding his container together instead of tearing him apart. How utterly different.

NEXT DAY

Naruto woke up early, dressed normally, and placed his henge over himself. It helped that the horrid orange suit was part of the henge. He didn't have to actually buy it. Saved him the terror of opening his closet to see it and have a heart attack. He took a moment to check and see if Kyuubi had returned to his prison, and was satisfied when he found the demon curled up in the bed Naruto had so graciously provided him with when he had been confined to Hirogenshi's lair. A small smirk, a few one handed seals only he knew and Naruto vanished off the radar, reappearing around the corner from the academy, five minutes before it began. The advantages of having a huge chakra and vast knowledge to draw on was that he could sleep in and not worry about missing anything vitally important or being late.

"Sorry Iruka-sensei," Naruto said as he walked into class just as the chunnin stood up to start announcing the line-up for the exams. Iruka sent the boy a glare but sighed, unable to actually discipline him. Naruto was not, technically, late.

"Naruto, go sit in the back please, and try not to be late next time," he muttered resignedly. Naruto took his seat without a word, earning a few curious glances. Naruto was rarely ever silent. Naruto was usually not even there most of the time. He was being sent out on missions and had a solid bushin made from pure chakra (not his chakra, of course, but a bushin that takes chakra from others to sustain itself. A curious and lethal bushin that could, if sustained long enough, drain an opponent's life force away. That, however, required a huge amount of concentration and a good portion of his own chakra to manipulate the bushin and was usually not as worth it as shoving some weapon in an obscene place or slicing their throat, in Naruto's opinion. No one, however, usually took note of the psychotic jinchurriki's opinion unless they wanted to become kitty food for Naruto's fetish, which just happened to be the color of drying blood.) Iruka sent him another worried glance before announcing the rules of the genin exam.

"Alright, there will be three parts to the genin exam. Round one is target drills using both Shuriken and Kunai. Second is a demonstration of taijutsu, either the academy's or your own. Remember that if it is your own it must be above the requirements. Third is the ninjutsu test, bushin and henge. Everyone follow?" The entire class resounded with a chorus of "Hai Sensei!"

"Now, when I call your name, go in through that door and follow our instructions. Aburame Shino, you are first." The bug weilder stood up silently and walked into the room. Ten minutes later, he walked back out with a headband and sat back down.

Ever so slowly, the class went in and came out, many with hitai-ate and some without. Naruto observed each one, noting which had potential and which did not. He had two in his sights so far. Uchiha Sasuke and Nara Shikamaru. Both were highly gifted, though the Uchiha was dark and Shikamaru was beyond lazy. Soon after Sasuke came out, Naruto was called. Calmly and ineffably silent he descended the stairs and walked into the room, not saying a word. Many whispered amongst themselves and wondered where the Naruto they had come to pick on went. Naruto didn't deign to correct them on their slight mistake; they hadn't picked on him, they had picked on a bushin that drained their chakra to stay in their presence. He thought it was a fair trade.

The room was lit by the single window and Naruto stood in the center, waiting for his orders. It was what he knew, orders. He might be sarcastic and cynical but if anyone he respected as his superior (including Iruka, the only one to show him genuine kindness) gave him an order, he would follow without hesitating, unless it was to make some snide remark. Mizuki and Iruka both sat behind the desk, a row or worn but usable Kunai and Shuriken on the table in front.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you are to attempt to aim the standard shinobi weapons at the far side of the room going for the three inch diameter circle on the wall. Any targets that are within close proximity, meaning less than two centimeters away, will be awarded full points. Anymore than that and half marks are credited till the weapons are not even within range. Begin," Iruka stated formally. Naruto quickly took the weapons, stood at an angle, and took a quick glance. Night vision, which he received from the cat DNA merged with his, was a blessing. He needed nothing more and threw the shuriken and kunai at once, all of them landing on their appropriate marks, none outside the circle. He scoffed inwardly at the simplistic nature of the test. The chunnin stared. No one had made complete perfect on this test. It was a qualification for jounin to hit all targets with every single weapon, but genin were lucky if they hit three, much less all ten.

"Are you two going to gape or am I going to complete my exam sometime soon?" Naruto asked softly. Iruka gave him a wide eyed stare, then gestured Mizuki out into the dirt covered floor.

"Er, eto….well, now we would like to see how well you can use taijutsu. All you must do is land a single punch and a kick on Miuku-sensei to receive full marks. Three minute time limit. Begin." Naruto took this as a challenge and slowed to half his speed and doubled the chakra weights he(read Kyuubi) had attached to himself. Still, it wasn't as much of a challenge. Sure, it was harder to move and He barely landed the hits but he still managed it. Kyuubi snickered softly then redoubled the weights. It was all Naruto could do to stay standing as Mizuki attempted the same thing. "Ok…." Iruka stared. It had been barely a minute and a half and Mizuki was already out of commission. Even Sasuke had taken longer than that, and Mizuki had been going somewhat easy on the Uchiha, since killing the genin wasn't something that was smiled upon. "Now, could you show us three bushin and a henge please Naruto," Iruka said when he had regained the ability to speak. Naruto held up two fingers, whispered something, and three well constructed bushin were at his side. With a sudden poof, all were someone different. Naruto dismissed the jutsu and Iruka wordlessly gave him the hitai-ate. Naruto now had two. He would only need his old, chakra reinforced one though. Took too much time to try and do the same to a brand new one now. Naruto bowed and left, aware he had probably shown more than he had needed too.

The whole class stared at him, amazed he had passed. Naruto seemed to ignore the looks and returned to his seat in the back of the classroom. One girl with pale irises stared at him, blushing slightly.

"N-n-naruto-kun," she whispered. More eyes followed him as he sat down and continued staring out the window through henged eyes. This class always bored him and left him with nothing but a flush of human emotions that he had locked away so long ago. Locked away so deep that he couldn't find them again if he dug for days. It was a requirement, something expected of him as a trained assassin. All that had been left was the horribly empty shell inhabited by a cynical, sarcastic soul who was much too loyal to a hokage that had betrayed him and far more unforgiving than he should be at such a young age. He was twelve and had far surpassed many of the previously set records. However, whenever he went to search for some part of him, some part that was missing, all he found was a cold, dark emptiness that filled him with dread. He knew his mind was falling apart, even as he put the next mission he had been ordered to research together. In some part of his mind, he understood he was broken and only god-knows-how he was going to fix it.

**Kit, you're wandering**_**,**_ Kyuubi warned him. **That****man, Iruka, is saying something important. Pay attention. Remember, you aren't supposed to be giving away your identity so soon.**Naruto flicked his eyes back and tuned in his ears to the voice of Iruka, wondering if the chunin was even aware of the kind of lives he held and trained so poorly in his grasp.

_Yeah, yeah, I know. This class is always so pointless. I think that all he's referring to is the genin team selections tomorrow. They moved it up a week because the hokage needed me on a certain mission and if I was gone for the team selection it would not be a fortuitous start to my long term mission. _Naruto sighed and laid his head down on the desk, absently catching an eraser sent flying in his direction. Iruka growled at him but did not feel inclined to yell at the blonde child today.

"Alright. Tomorrow show up at the academy at seven for team selections I don't want to find any of you late, Naruto," he said, sending a warning glare up at the boy, who waved a hand lazily in response. "If you are late, you will be demoted. You are dismissed." The children all got up, chatting excitedly and filing out the door. When Iruka turned to speak to Naruto, the boy was gone, vanished. Iruka sighed again and returned to his desk. Naruto was becoming more of a mystery than he had already been.

Sandaime sighed as he got the results from the genin exams. Naruto had passed with flying colors and was now ranked somewhere around the middle of his class. He considered who else to pair him with. The Haruno girl was a consideration but in retrospect, her adoration for the Uchiha would drive Naruto up the wall. He needed someone who could be a calm influence on the two boys. Sasuke and Naruto on the same team would be hectic for Kakashi, and putting Haruno on his team would be suicide. So he turned to the other genin. Out of the twenty-seven that had passed, nine could be picked out to actually become the rookie nine. He focused on them. Kiba would do no good. Too loud for Naruto to deal with. Shino would do okay, though he was almost too quiet, too passive. No dice. Hinata Hyuuga's affection for Naruto….Sandaime considered this for a moment.

_This might be a good thing for the boy. Her affection could show him the other side of humanity. Ah, but…his aversion to such treatment could result in her destruction…Naruto would hurt her if she tried to get to close to him. He hates affection. Shoot. Not Hinata._ Sandaime sighed again. Ino was a definite no, being a Sasuke fan-girl. She'd be dead. Chouji was another no. He was much to singular minded and too much trouble for Naruto to handle. _I hate doing it this way. I usually put them in squads based around how well their own individual characteristics would balance each other out. Now I'm stuck building it around Naruto, who would kill anyone who was not strong enough to cope with him, or offended him in some way. This is a pain. The only one left is Shikamaru._ He stared at the boy's information again. _Ah, perfect. According to Iruka, the boy is smart, if incredibly lazy. His skills could be improved and Naruto would shove him into training whether he liked it or not. Easy going, smart and with a doujutsu. Control over shadows. Just up Naruto's alley. _

He looked back at the teams. _Alright. Asuma with Ino, Chouji and Sakura. Kurenai with Hinata, Shino and Kiba. Kakashi with Naruto, Sasuke and Shikamaru. I'd rather have had the Ino-Shika-Cho team but this works out ok. _With a sigh of relief, he filed the teams and put them into folders just as Naruto arrived. He looked up at the boy, who was out of his henge and stood, propped up against the wall.

"Hello Naruto." Naruto nodded.

"I assume you have finished building teams for the genin?" Sandaime nodded. "So, I am on the team with the Uchiha, who you are afraid will defect when he is offered power to kill his older brother, and Shikamaru, who I assume is there to keep the peace?" The hokage nodded, not all too surprised that Naruto figured it out.

"Yes. Hatake Kakashi is to be your Jounin sensei." Naruto snarled.

"If that pervert is late it is not my fault as to what happens to him. Got it? I would recommend to him that he either come up with some really convincing excuses or be on time every time. Would you relay that to him?" Sandaime nodded gravely. He didn't doubt Naruto. Some of the jutsu in his little arsenal would be frightening to encounter when the wielder was pissed. More specifically, it would be frightening to encounter anytime, just a hell of a lot scarier when Naruto was mad.

"Alright Naruto. You do know that I want you to do something for me later this week, right?" Naruto's black ears twitched and his tail swayed slightly.

"Hai, wagatta," was the short reply. Turquoise eyes flicked to him and back to the window.

"Do you have a back up plan in mind for your team?"

"Hai." Sandaime sighed.

"Alright Naruto. You're dismissed. Don't be late for the genin assignments tomorrow. I don't want to have to explain to Iruka why you weren't there." Naruto bowed.

"You will is my command, Hokage-sama," he said softly, mockingly, then vanished in a swirl of nothingness. The hokage wondered for the umpteenth time if he had done the right thing. If Naruto as the perfect weapon was such a good thing. And he considered the possibility of it not being so good. In fact, he knew it was probably a mistake, but nothing could be done about it now but to try and retrieve the boy's lost sanity. He was so cold, merciless, and unemotional when he carried out missions that he frightened many of the most seasoned ANBU. His cold nature did not end at missions. Anyone who dared speak to him was bound to receive a sharp, sarcastic reply, or be brushed off like lint.

* * *

Alright, I think I ended it earlier than before cause I wasn't too sure on where I was before so, yeah, that is probably different. Anyway, I know reviews for me are sorta scarce, but I love them anyway, so please??

**Kuroi here! (A.K.A. BMF) **I do have a reasonably good excuse for Naruto's emotions. Remember, his mind is fractured. He is unstable thus the emotionlessness. However, when with Kyuubi, who is his only friend, part of his mind shifts to where he can accept such concepts. Mainly 'cause Kyuubi holds his mind together but….

**Here's a thank you to all reviewers! **

**stringer13**: Thanx, and I do agree. He would need someone stronger…just wait and see what happens to Naruto soon enough. I feel for him…

**shino/Shinn/ddd**: (who all said the same thing….) Thanks for the reviews! Your votes are counted!

**x-EliteAssassin-x** Thanks for the new person. If you could, potentially, send me something about her, since my knowledge is barely acceptable, then I might be able to write he better! SANKYUU!!

**Yeoman:** Your vote has been counted

**lordtorg22**: Arigato!! She is under consideration!

**Spotted Cow**: (bows down) you are, officially, my favorite reviewer! Loved it! Your ideas are great and I liked this sentence especially. Hit it right close to home. And just wait and see what happens in the future! Heehee!!

(If I were him.. with his current skill set the entire Wave arc would be an annoyance... swift late night assassinations anyone? Precious people make you strong? How about a kunai through the throat)

Thanks for the words of encouragement! You have no idea how much they mean! (bows again) Shika is under my strong consideration. He plays a rather huge roll, as you will soon see!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING!! (any guesses on Owari Kubaru? It does mean something!! (snicker and smile)

-I'll be nice. Here's a list of people he may, potentially, be with.

Itachi 5

Shikamaru 1

Sasuke (I'm debating on him...he's just so cliche…)

Haku (male or female, if I even decide on putting Haku in the story) 1(fem)

Gaara (Also under debate)

Tayuya 1

Pick one on your own, though off limits characters include: Sakura, Ino, Hinata (WAY too overdone.), Kiba, Chouji, Kakashi (he is NOT a pedophile) Iruka (grimace) Tsunade (I would say WTF if I hadn't already seen these)

-Wave Arc.

Yes or no??

Now, would you please be a dear are review? (AND VOTE!) You still have time to get your vote in before I decide on my own! Leave your name at the door and I'll be glad to get back to you too!! Arigato!

Oh, and a challenge to you! Whoever can find the meaning to Owari Kubaru and the implied pun gets a sneak peek at the next chapter and a box of pocky and an internet plushie of your choice! Open until someone gets it!!


	4. Assignment and Personalities

**BMF**: Ok, this is edited because I found it lacking and a major lack of detail. Mer. So, here is the retyped chapter three!! Eep!

* * *

Naruto returned home and stared at the paperwork that had piled up on his table. He groaned and put a hand to his head. The council was loading him with reports and orders, constantly sending him the things they would normally send the hokage. Mission files, ranking assignments, classified files. It was all part of the agreement he and the council had made when they had allowed him to be installed as the ANBU nin and hinter-nin at the age of ten. The youngest ever to make that rank. It was as scheme to keep him under the council's constant watch because, if he refused, then the council had permission to take his rank away and demote him to academy student. Or even ban him from shinobi life in general. He remembered it vividly:

* * *

_Naruto was standing in the middle of the Council's meeting room, tail flicked behind him in annoyance, ears twitching. His cat-shaped blue-turquoise eyes observed the old men and woman of the council with something akin to loathing. All of them too where glaring in his general direction. Most were not pleased, though the Aburame clan leader wasn't sending him any hateful looks. One of maybe two or three. A scared and bandaged man stood up, slamming his hands down on the table in front of him. _

"_We CANNOT allow this! No one has EVER been assigned to any ANBU squad or as a hunter-nin at the age of ten! Besides, in your circumstances, we cannot let that happen regardless!" That would be Danzo, head of the ROOT operation. His bandaged and slightly droopy face was by no means a sign of weakness on the former ROOT leader. Naruto turned an emotionless face towards him, one that would make any ROOT commander proud but merely had the effect of sending a quick shiver down the older man's back. _

"_Whether or not it has never occurred before does not mean a precedent cannot be set. I am more than capable of this position and would gladly beat your ass to prove it if it must be so. The Kyuubi is of no importance. He cannot escape voluntarily through any means and his power is mine to utilize as I please. You have little say in my future to begin with. Your manipulations have produced what you desired, Danzo, so why are you not willing to allow me this title? Are you afraid that I may become what you intended and have yet to fully understand?" Danzo paled considerably. Since when did this little brat know about THAT? No one, not even the hokage, knew! _

"_That is an unfair accusation, Uzumaki Naruto-san. You cannot prove that your imprisonment with Hirogenshi is anything but a bad mishap," one of the older council members protested. Naruto growled. If he needed any other reason to kill the council, this was it. Their ignorance. _

"_I have a list, if you wish me to recite it. It might be damaging to you Danzo but it would prove my point." A hurried shake of the head from Danzo had Naruto smirking. _

"_I…I will allow him this position," the former ROOT commander said grudgingly, his mind running through anything that could possibly be used to his advantage. Gasps of outrage from the council resounded. _

"_How in the world can you allow this! That…THING will destroy us all! He would be a menace to.." the man never got to finish. In a blur, Naruto and slammed his elbow into the old council member's face, effectively breaking his nose and shutting him up. More than one person advanced on him, looks of utter disbelief and rage etched on their faces. _

"_Anyone else have any objections?" Naruto questioned innocently. A quick dodge saved him his clothes as a fire justu went soaring past and ignited a desk, a chair and a sack of papers. Naruto sighed. "I guess that would be a yes then." _

_He sprang up off a chair and launched himself towards the shinobi, all of whom where either old, retired or on reserve due to other interferences, weren't as much of a mach as people would expect out of the council. _

_One, the one who so graciously sent a fireball at the young boy, fell to a quick jab to the throat and a well placed round kick to the temple. His sun-tanned skin, wrinkly, sagged and his head, followed by a still attached neck and body, went flying into a nearby wall where he slumped down, unconcious. He didn't give the rest of them time and a woman got sucker-punched in the face, where she stumbled out of the fray. Not five minutes later, the rest, except for Aburame, Hyuuga, Nara(who deemed it too much trouble) and Danzo, who was more amused than anything else, were either knocked out or staggered back. A few broken tables and chairs littered the room and a rather satisfied Naruto stood in the middle, gazing around with a look of satisfaction on his face. _

"_Alright, we all agree on my inception into ANBU and Hunter-nin ranks? Any objections?" No one disagreed, however there was a stipulation. _

"_If you serve as a Hunter-nin and ANBU, you will take the place of captian, you will be given any and all assignments and files that we require to be finished by a qualified ninja. You and your genius will be used, however we desire. Anything at all." Danzo looked directly into a fuming Naruto's face. _

"_If you wish it, Danzo. You know how to contact me. Good day." Naruto vanished, both self-satisfied and pissed. The council could invoke such strong reactions._

* * *

"I hate this job sometimes. I really do."

**Than you shouldn't have made the deal with that stupid council of the hokage's. That would have prevented all of this. **Naruto sighed again.

"Kyuubi, your input is neither needed nor desired. So shut up unless you could be of some purpose in finishing this paperwork." Kyuubi quieted. Naruto sat down at the table, curling his tail around his waist and his ears twitching with annoyance. His delicate hands reached for a pen and he picked up the first of what seemed like hundreds of papers. His hands got busy writing down the information and he kept at it late until the night, muttering under his breath. He had assignments for his squad first, esspecially since he took a week off at the behest of the hokage.

----A Few Hours Later----

"Jansinobi would not be best for this! What are those idiots thinking? Shorin would be much better suited for that! My god! Jansinobi would do for that one though. Him and Kurina. Those two are well suited. Now, what about this one?" Jansinobe, Kurina, and Shorin were all the top three ANBU in his squad of ten, Jansinobe the more direct of all three. Shorin was probably considered the second-in-command.

**Kit, you keep muttering like that and I'm gonna start thinking that you're going mad. **

"Kyuubi, if I'm not already mad than the whole world's gone insane. Now, shut up and let me finish this! I'm at the last of the mission assignments and if I don't any sleep tonight someone will die tomorrow." Kyuubi grumbled but stayed silent. Naruto returned to finishing the last of the mission assignments. It was the last of the stack that he had on that particular subject, though a whole other stack sat waiting for attention, probably the council's attempts at money making. Naruto gave them a harsh glare than put the pen down and slouched his way to bed. He hated paperwork. He despised it with a passion. His mind formulated ways to dispose of said council without anyone knowing, and fell asleep dreaming of their demise, plenty of blood and tortured screams involved.

Kyuubi, locked in the cage deep in Naruto's subconscious, sighed. This village had a strange sense of justice, training a child to fight then scorning him for killing. Using a young boy to the point of breaking then wondering why he was so emotionless. Kyuubi had always considered himself to go insane before his host, but he boy had beat him to the punch, along with a few alternate personalities. His hand ran through thoroughly messed up hair as he leaned back against the stone wall.

"I am here," a young voice said. Kyuubi turned, gazing upon what was Naruto's lost humanity. The boy was small, no older than seven, with bright blue eyes and a tan face, what Naruto would have looked like if the doctor hadn't gotten his hand on him. Kyuubi nodded to him. "It is time, is it not?"

"I believe it is. Are you ready young one?" Naruto-chibi stiffened his shoulders and turned to the bars.

"I am. Wait for me, I will be back in a minute." With that, he walked through the bars and vanished down a long corridor, returning as he said with a handful of glass held in his palm. "This is what has escaped," he said softly, gazing forlornly down at the melted sand. "It is becoming worse. _He_ will come again, sooner than expected, if we cannot hold this together."

Kyuubi swore lightly as he examined the glass, counting twenty pieces all together. It was time to begin the nightly ritual. The two of them had to, quite literally, piece what was left of Naruto's mind together, the little one collecting the shards and fragments that had broken and scattered. They walked together silently, approaching a large glass circle.

The entire sphere was no where near solid. Each piece had falled out ad many were scratched, chipped and held together with duct tape, though were it had come from was a mystery. Kyuubi took the missing pieces from the child and softly put them back, fitting them into correct slots as he had done all the boy's life. It was much easier now that it was repeptitive. Naruto was a broken child, his mind shifting from mood to mood, personality to personality wildly. He was brilliant, a genius, but he was never stable, keeping his face emotionless and carefully blank, hiding behind mask after mask. The one called Itachi was a normal, albeit slightly OCD, human compared to his kit, Kyuubi thought grimly. And Itachi had been accused of murdering his entire clan. With another sigh, Kyuubi turned to the child, thanked him, and walked away from the glass sphere, broken so many times it wasn't funny. He needed sleep, sleep to regain his own sanity in fear of driving Naruto over the edge.

* * *

The next day, Naruto was the first to show up at the academy and he took a seat near the back with a bored expression on his henged face. At the moment, he could care less about these genin unless they were dying. They were far too weak. Any mission they did they would wind up dead, unless it was taking care of someone's kids or chasing that stupid cat. Even then though, that cat might kill them. He almost was when he was three and his ANBU protectors decided he was ready for a simple, easy mission. He nearly killed the bloody thing though. The hokage deemed him fit enough to not have to chase the cat anymore. Probably to prolong that infernal beast's life. Naruto simply handed the cat over, making up schemes to kill it later.

The rest of the genin hopefuls soon filed in, chattering and laughing amongst themselves. They all ignored him, too busy being children. Naruto scoffed at their attitudes and leaned back in his chair, perfectly aware of what was going on around him yet uncaring. He only stopped to look when his future team mates arrived.

Uchiha Sasuke, followed by a legion of fan girls, giggling and staring at the boy, who ignored them pointedly. He took a seat near Naruto's and attempted to look scary, failing miserably. The girls sat next to him and around him, fawning over him. Sasuke was looking extremely uncomfortable and he was still trying to look scary. Naruto stifled chuckles and noted that no one sat near him. He smirked at this and turned back to the entertainment in front, rather enjoying the spectacle.

Nara Shikamaru came in next, accompanied by Chouji, who was munching down on chips, to no one's surprise. He slouched down in a seat three rows from the back on the right hand side of the room. His head immediately hit the desk and he was asleep. Naruto snarled slightly.

_That boy will not be lazy for long if I have anything to say about it. Him and the Uchiha both. _

**Keep that attitude up and they're going to be scared of you. **

_That's the point Kyuubi. If they are weak they will fall. I will not have my team fall under my command. Hatake Kakashi of the Sharingan is powerful in his own righ;t to date he has one jutsu of his own creation. An achievement for the ordinary shinobi. He would be a handful if I had to fight him on my own. But that is of no matter. I doubt I would be fighting my own supposed sensei. No. But those two are not ready for the real world. I will not lead two genin on suicide missions. _

**You have a weird way of thinking kit. But hey, whatever. **

_And you are too laid back for a demon. _

**I'm a teen, what do you expect of me?**

_Some evil, giant, hulking beast?_

**Wait a few hundred more years, then you'll see some evil. **

_What, is it mandatory for any demon older than eight hundred to go to the dark side?_

**What makes you think I'm not already on the dark side?**

Naruto snorted. _One, you have a ramen fetish, which, by the way, I hate. Two, the fact that you haven't tried to take over my mind. And three, all you want to do is play video games all day. _

**I like my ramen fetish, thank you very much. And kit, I'd so take over your mind if I was a puzzle master that could piece together the thousand sides of you that have fallen apart under the pressure. Then I would have to actually over power you, which I highly doubt is possible. **

_I think you like me too much to try and take over my mind. _

**Oh, this from the cynical brat known as Owari Kubaru? Wow, amazing.**

_You know full well that I am not Owari Kubaru. You know that Kyuubi. _The conversation paused a minute.

**I do, but that is moot point. Your body is that of Owari's, thus you are him. Oh, and someone hired Owari Kubaru for an assassination this week, right alongside your mission for the hokage. Up for it?**

_Go talk to him about it. He would be more likely to answer. _The blonde didn't like the demon's habit of making assignments for Owari and Kyuubi knew it. However, it was one way to keep Owari from completely taking Naruto over and killing the entire village and obliterating Naruto's only dream: To keep Konoha and its inhabitants as safe and protected as possible, to keep his home from ruin. He did not want the title of Hokage. He like the shadows and what they brought him; secrecy, protection and a life of his own.

**I would, if Owari was answering me. He is not, and you needed to be informed anyway. Besides, Owari is listening in to this already. **

Naruto groaned, then turned to the offer, since any other angle would not work. Naruto considered it for a moment. Another shot at killing someone would work out his stress with this whole deal. _How many and for how much?_ Naruto knew Kyuubi go this information from the foxes in the surrounding area and he had used a transformation jutsu to make a few of the foxes look and speak like humans to help them deal with the influx of just such requests.

**Fifteen for twenty thousand ryo. Standard payment methods. **

_When exactly?_

**Four days from now, on the outskirts of Water. Something along the lines of Gatou and a few of his men. Nothing special or big.**

_Why not. It'll be a good stress reliever. _

**Done. I'll tell the foxes.** Naruto felt Kyuubi retreat from the forefronts of his mind and sighed, now concentrating on Iruka, who was speaking. Assigning the teams.

"Team Seven. Nara Shikamaru, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto. Your jounin sensei is Kakashi Hatake." All the girls groaned. None of them had been placed in Sasuke's team. Sakura started to cry, wailing about how her love was to remain forever unfulfilled. Naruto was tempted to throw a kunai at her and end her misery. He saw now why she hadn't been placed on his team. She would be dead within a day. Iruka sighed.

"Team Eight. Aburame Shino, Hyuuga Hinata, Inuzuka Kiba. Your jounin sensei is Yuuhi Kurenai. Team Ten. Akimichi Chouji, Haruno Sakura, Yamanka Ino. Your Jounin Sensei is Sarutobi Asuma. You are to wait here until your jounin sensei arrives. Dismissed." Iruka walked back to his desk for the time being and left the group to talk amongst themselves. Naruto spaced out and Sasuke angstd.

_On a team with a dobe and a lazy kid. Damn it, I'm supposed to get powerful enough to beat him?!. They're going to hold me back. Damn it!_

Shikamaru sat up and sighed. "Mendokusai. The Uchiha and Uzumaki. Those two will fight like no tomorrow. Mendokusai." He lay back down.

* * *

Hokage's office

Kakashi was leaning against the wall, orange Icha Icha book in his hand, eye rapidly scanning the pages until his attention was called forward. With a half-hearted sigh, he shut the book and looked into the face of his leader.

"Hokage-sama, if I may ask, why am I here? I have a genin squad to pick up and ter…eto, train." He coughed. Sarutobi smiled sadly.

"It is about your squad. One of your students, to be exact." Kakashi tilted his head to the side.

"Eh, Uchiha? I already know about him. And the Nara boy too, though why you put those two on the same team escapes me." The Sandaime sighed.

"No, your third student, Uzumaki Naruto."

"Him? From my reports, he is the dead last of his class, even behind the lazy one."

"Most of the time, it is not even him in the classroom. It is an advanced form of a Kage Bushin that uses the energy of those around it to keep itself sustained. It does not disappear when it receives a fatal blow but, if the opposing energy is strong enough, it will either die or continue attacking. If the energy is not strong enough then the bushin will die. It requires immense amounts of chakra and the knowledge of chakra workings. It also uses completely different hand seals. The bushin is given its own personality based off what the creator wishes, all of its memories are of the creator's own fashion. It is a complex jutsu, one that you would only attempt if and when you have the knowledge. And no, I don't know if it can be copied." Kakashi stared. Since when was anything like that even possible?

"Are you saying that Naruto created his own jutsu? How?" Sandaime raised an eyebrow.

"I am not at liberty to say. You may ask Naruto if you want to know. But I would not underestimate him. Nara was placed on your team to keep the peace. If anyone else had been there than they would be either dead, maimed or permanently terrorized and scarred for the rest of their life. Do you understand?" Kakashi nodded and prepared to leave for an hour walk before heading to his team. "Oh, and I would recommend not being late. I am not responsible nor will I condemn anything Naruto does to you for being late. It is his way and the council will refuse to punish him. They are afraid to lose their precious weapon." He spat the last part with derision. Kakahsi paled. "Naruto said to either come up with better excuses or not be late." Kakashi nodded and left in a swirl of wind and leaves, slightly perturbed. Sarutobi sighed and returned to his paperwork, hoping that Naruto would restrain his more murderous urges. The council took great pride in having the jinchuuriki under their control. Only if they knew that Naruto had sworn his loyalty to the Hokage alone.

-------------------------------------------OWARI KUBARU--------------------------------------------------

The newly appointed genin were restless, shifting in their seats, talking amongst themselves, and complaining. Naruto seethed and wondered when the perverted jounin would show. He had better get there before Naruto took it into his own hands to destroy the pathetic children around him to cease their endless talking. Kyuubi sighed and tightened his hold on Naruto's mind, shifting the grip to reign in the bloodthirsty edge, and could feel the blood lust, which had begun to build, drain away. Only Shikamaru, who had tuned into the strange energy, however slight, the moment he saw the blonde's eyes shift into anger, and the jounin outside felt it. The lazy genius narrowed his own eyes, warily looking Naruto up and down. This was not something he expected from the dobe of the class.

The door sliding open and snapping against the wood halted all conversation as everyone turned to look at the intruder. He was tall, around 5' 11". His hair, gray and sticking straight up, added a few extra inches. One eye was covered by his hitai-ate, a simple black cloth hiding the lower part of his face, though by the way his visible eye was tilted he was smiling. "Team Seven, with me," he said, "meet me on the roof." Then he vanished in a swirl of leaves. Naruto climbed to his feet, quietly descending the stairs and heading for the door, followed by Shikamaru and Sasuke. They passed by Iruka, who looked as if he had swallowed a lemon. His face was scrunched up, disbelieving, and his eyes were wide, hand in mid motion to bring a coffee mug to his face. As Naruto passed by, he whispered, just for personal benefit,

"A little incentive goes a long way, ne Iruka-sensei?" If it was possible, he looked even more astonished. His eyes flicked from the door where Kakashi had stood to Naruto, who walked by without a second thought. Iruka's mind was running double time. When was Kakashi ever early? It wasn't natural for Kakashi to be early. What did Naruto have to do with anything anyway? He was left with no answers as the three trooped out. He would have to ask the hokage later, along with a few other questions that had been bugging him.

The three, all who remained silent, sauntered up the stairs, not a word spoken between them. They didn't need to be talking. Naruto was wondering how he would handle the situation, since he did not want to give his true power away just yet but he didn't want to act like his bushin either. He settled on indifferent silence. Sasuke and Shikamaru were evaluating the suddenly different blonde child that was Naruto, just not the one they knew. This Naruto was quiet, contained, and not hyper, but before they got around to asking questions their feet hit the top of the stairs and they walked out onto the roof, sitting loosely around their new sensei. Naruto was to the far left, nearing the wall. Sasuke sat in the middle, hands propping his head up, elbows resting on his knees. Shikamaru took his usual position of laying down, eyes tracing the clouds above. All three were silent, unmoving, and simply stared at the sky or at Kakashi.

'_Apparently patience is one of their strong suits,'_ Kakashi thought, sweatdropping. This team of his was going to be more trouble than it was worth, it seemed. Sandaime wouldn't give him a team unable to pass the test that Kakashi gave every genin he had, supposedly, so he would probably be stuck with them. A few more minutes of terse silence and the jounin broke the ice, speaking up as he put the Icha Icha book away.

"Alright. Let's get to know each other first. Name's, likes, dislike, dreams, ambitions and hobbies." Naruto sent him an amused look.

"What for Kakashi-san?" Kakashi raised an eye brow.

"To get to know each other," was the reply. Naruto snorted.

"Simplicity in itself. Your name is Hatake Kakashi. Likes include Icha Icha Paradise series and a certain dolphin, name unmentionable. You dislike those that leave behind their team mates and being on time. Your dreams are to live up to a certain old team member who died for you. Ambitions are slightly foggy in your respective area and hobbies are Icha Icha and your dolphin. And training." Naruto paused, ignoring the astonished look on his sensei's face and turning towards the person closest to him, Sasuke.

"You are Uchiha Sasuke, lone survivor of the Uchiha clan massacre. Your likes are few, of which include training to grow stronger. Dislikes are many, among which comprise idiots, weaklings and fan girls. Your dream is your ambition, to kill Uchiha Itachi. Your hobbies are to grow stronger." Another pause. "But you lack the one skill that is needed for your strength to improve. You lack the drive and determination to reach your goals. You want everything handed to you on a silver platter. You are not strong enough to beat Kakashi let alone Itachi and at the rate you seem to advance in you will never reach his strength." Sasuke's eyes widened, his hands tightened, and he restrained himself from killing Naruto.

"Dobe. What the hell are you rambling about? What do you know about anything?" he hissed. Naruto waved dismissively.

"Not everything is as it seems Uchiha. Nara Shikamaru. Likes are Shogi, go, and cloud watching. Notoriously lazy. Dislikes are training. You would much rather be watching clouds. Dreams are to make enough money as a ninja to retire and settle down. Ambition is the same. Hobbies are playing shogi, go and watching clouds. Genius who hates to do work because putting pencil to paper is too much trouble," Naruto said, almost as if reading off of a sheet. Shikamaru looked over at Naruto, eyes still as bored as ever though a spark of surprise lingered in their depths.

"Mendokusai," he muttered, then returned to cloud gazing.

"Both of you lack the skills to become shinobi that are worth the name of this village as of right now. You are weak, worthless children who still think being a shinobi is a game that you play with dangerous toys. If you want to ever reach any sort of potential than I suggest you think about your reasons or else you will die and I will have no sympathy for you whatsoever. I refuse to have anyone weak on my team." Sasuke gaped at him.

"What? Since when were you allowed to say that dobe? You have the lowest scores in the class! You're the weak one! Foolish and idiotic." Naruto gazed at him, emotionless.

"When there is nothing left, where do you turn to Uchiha?" The three could only look at him, confused. Suddenly though, Shikamaru sighed deeply and resumed staring at the clouds, as if he had already figured it out. Naruto was betting he had.

"Is that supposed to mean something Dobe?"

"Everything has meaning teme. You are weak and inexperienced, believing you have knowledge simply because you saw your family killed. When you have had experience, you will know," Naruto said shortly. Kakashi decided to interrupt the feud before blood was shed. He now saw what the hokage had meant when he said Naruto was a problem child.

"Well Naruto, why don't you tell us about yourself then since you so graciously introduced us?" Naruto glared at him.

"Watch your words Kakashi-san. You would not want to say the wrong thing. You just might find your tongue missing." Kakashi blanched. What had he said wrong?

Deep in the depths of Naruto's mind, a new side of Naruto took control. The one that usually sent people scurrying in the opposite direction, unwilling to talk to the boy who insulted them at every turn. Kyuubi, sighing, reached out and gently grasped the corners of his hosts mind and tugged, letting Naruto's normal, cool, distant but somewhat polite personality fall into place. The childlike boy who kept the demon company smiled softly and thanked him

Naruto breathed deeply then sighed. "Sorry Kakashi-san. My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I like painting, training and talking to the furball. I dislike that stupid cat that seems to live forever, weaklings and perverts. I have no dreams. My ambitions are few. My hobbies are painting and training." He turned back towards the edge of the wall, unconcerned with the stares of astonishment he was receiving. Sure, it was true, for this side of Naruto. However, one could only judge when one had met ALL of Naruto.

_What the hell happened to the kid who screamed that he would be hokage someday? _was running through his teammates and sensei's minds. All of them turned to Naruto and wondered what had happened. Kakashi especially. Naruto had said something about the furball and he wondered if he was referring to Kyuubi. The topic of his musings interrupted him.

"Kakashi-san, I assume you have a reason for bringing us all here? There is more than introducing ourselves to being a shinobi." Kakashi nodded.

"Tomorrow at seven a.m. you are to report to training field thirteen for survival training." Sasuke gave him a quizzical look.

"Didn't we do that stuff in the academy?" Shikamaru sat up, sleepy-eyed.

"I suspect that isn't all. Kakashi-sensei obviously has some ulterior motive behind this," the boy yawned. Kakashi nodded. "Mendokusai."

"Out of all the students that passed the genin exams, only nine will actually become genin." He waited for gasps of horror and sighed when none came. "Tomorrow is the test to see if you all are ready to be genin. There is a 66 chance of failing." Only Sasuke even bothered to look slightly horrified. Naruto had already known this and Shikamaru could care less. "Done then. Tomorrow at seven on ground thirteen. And don't eat breakfast. You'll throw up." He turned to leave when Naruto placed a hand on his shoulder.

"The hokage asked me to bring you to him when you were done with your speech, Kakashi-san. I believe he has a few questions and advice for you." Naruto vanished in a swirl of light. Sasuke turned incredulous eyes towards Kakashi.

"What the heck is up with the dobe? Since when could he even perform jutsu like that? What's going on?" Kakashi sighed.

"I wish I knew Sasuke. I really did." The pineapple-haired boy sat up.

"Mendokusai. That boy is simply troublesome with all his riddles and subtly. Mendokusai." He got to his feet and waived them off as he started to walk away. Sasuke wouldn't let him, not just yet. He still had questions for him.

"Since you seem to know, what is going on with Naruto?" Shikamaru turned slightly, sighing.

"It is obvious. Figure it out yourself." He walked away sighed. Sasuke reluctantly followed, muttering under his breath about idiot teammates and incompetent sensei's. Kakashi once more groaned and dropped his head into his hands. He would have his hands full with this lot.

The Cyclops vanished in a swirl of leaves and reappeared in the hokage's office, in the presence of Naruto and Sarutobi. Naruto was leaning against the wall, looking perceptively about the room with no particular emotion on his face save that of boredom. The Sandaime had a tired expression, as if he had yet to hit the sack in over a week, which was more likely to be true rather than not.

"You called, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi bowed. Naruto snickered slightly at the gesture and received a glare from the hokage.

"Yes, yes. I did. As you have, no doubt, realized by now that Naruto is not entirely who he may seem. And you have questions." Kakashi nodded hesitantly. Sandaime lowered his head, letting the broad-brimmed hat cover his eyes as he thought out what he should tell the jounin before turning to the subject in question. "As I have little knowledge of what he wants revealed and what he wishes to keep secret, direct your questions to Naruto. You will answer them, right?" He turned the reproving stare towards the blonde boy, who nodded slightly.

"As much as I wish revealed shall, but for your ears alone Kakashi. I wish no one else to know about this. Understand?" His eyes, hard blue agates, froze Kakashi in place. The former ANBU could only nod. "Good. Now, ask your questions before you bore me." Kakashi straightened up.

"No need to be rude Naruto," he grumbled, eyeing the boy. Naruto simply glared at him, waiting. "Fine then. What did you mean, furball? You said something about that." Naruto's mouth curled into a miniscule smirk.

"Ah, I see. You should know. You are privileged to that bit of knowledge the council so graciously hid behind the law," he snickered, voice low and hissing. The jounin had the grace to stare at him, wide-eyed, shocked.

"You mean_...that thing?_ You can talk to that thing?"

"He prefers his name. Or a gender at the very least." Kakashi stared.

"It……" Naruto's blank stare had him reevaluating his previous thought. "He has feelings?" Naruto sniffed softly, almost laughing. Almost.

"Yeah, and some weird fetish with ramen and video games, of which I have yet to figure out." Naruto was in a rather playful mood, thanks in no small part to Kyuubi, who was rather depressed with the cold and empty version of Naruto. The fox was grateful, utterly and immeasurably grateful, to be able to switch Naruto's personalities when one was at a low point or just starting to take control. It saved lives sometimes. And his sanity. The child nodded solemly but turned to Kyuubi and gave him a loaded look, one that said he would loose control that night and the real Naruto would be back. Kyuubi merely nodded in return. He knew, but if he was able to spare those that Naruto had once had respect for than it was worth it.

The hokage had now turned to give Naruto a wide-eyed version of a landed fish, mouth gaping. "What?..." Sarutobi gasped out. "He has a fetish for ramen? What kind of demon is he?"

Naruto whistled somewhat innocently, or tried to. It was sort of hard for him to do anything innocently. Period end of story. "I could let you meet him. He's been sorta mad at me lately." Kakashi vehemently shook his head negatively.

"No…thanks anyway.." Naruto smiled then waved and vanished in a swirl of golden wind. Kakashi gaped, then collected himself and turned towards Sarutobi pitifully.

"He didn't answer all my questions….." Kakashi whined. The hokage smiled.

"I didn't really expect him to. He was in a rather pleasant mood today so you got more out of him than you normally would. Feel somewhat happy at that." The ex-ANBU sighed.

"I don't get it. His teachers, heck even Iruka-san says he's hyper, loud, obnoxious and, while hard-working, not all that smart. This other Naruto just seems so different you can't even begin to compare the two different sides. What happened?"

Sarutobi lowered his face, enough so that his eyes were hidden and he could disguise the regret in his voice. "I have little clue of what actually transpired but I do know that the boy he was when he was younger and the one he is now are also different. The Naruto that everyone else knows is his way of hiding and reaching for what he cannot have. But be warned, it will not always be the same Naruto. He is still the council's weapon and is used as such. You are dismissed Kakashi." The jounin could do little more than mutter and bow, disappearing in a swirl of leaves to contemplate matters at his house. He had way too much going on in his life. Not to mention a genin team that weren't all genin in the first place.

* * *

**BMF**: Alright, here's an update…wow, a whopping 34 reviews!! YAY!! Thank you all so much!!! Here is how the voting stands:

Itachi: 24 (he be winning….)

Shikamaru: (my personal fave) 3 (aww….)

Tayuya: 3

Fem Haku: 2

Otherwise, no one else has any other votes. Mer. Oh, and I have an idea!! It hit me while I was thinking of a way to write Itachi in so it wouldn't fail at being non-cliché. How would an Itachi/Naruto/Shika be??? Just asking, since it would solve my minor obbsession with Shika/Naru and the reviewers want for Itachi. Huh??? Anyway, on to the reviewers!!!

Failing Mentality: Thanks!! Here's an update and an answer to the Wave arc!!!

mammoth king: wow, thanks!

Hime: Lots of smiles in return!!

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mini-itachi: umm….here's the update…..(laughs nervously) loud much?

handy: Wow!! You swell my ego!! (laugh) vote is counted!

fancified kid: Sankyuu!!! Appreciated!

HannaibalBean: Arigato!!!

AireoJet: Agree completely. Vote has been counted and review appreciated

DramaQueen674958: Thank you! So nice! Itachi is popular……

Tobi54: I bet he is. He always is! Thanks for the review and your vote has been counted!!!

Minor: here's, to, your, continued, hoping, and, an, end, to, the, wondering!!

Shugo of Hac: Sasuke is definitely out at the moment. He's way too cliché. Here's an end to your wondering!

Kin: (smile) hehe, thanks for the reviews! Unfortunately, only one vote per screen name per chapter. Gomen. Thanks for you input though!!!!

Shino: Thanks! Here's another update!!!

tora: Thank you!!! Hope you enjoy this too!!!

soulmated: Thanks!!! I appreciate the review and here's your update!!!

nuzleaf: One more for old Uchiha there.

mulan: so polite. 3. thanks!!

KARINA: loud…..vote has been counted!

sks: one more for the cyko!!

itadomai: (smile) thanks!

sandmonkeys: I don't think I could do justice to a hanbi or a hana pairing. I might try it when I have more experience in the Naruto fandom. Thanks for the vote!!!

shikamaru: Arigato!! Here's the next chapter!

JINE: Sankyuu!!

Ddd: of course.

Iamwatchingyou: Practice and the dead of night helps out with the process. And he doesn't quite know yet and probably wont for a few chapters more….

moeoep: Thanmks! I hope this one is long enough for you!!

Narutofan: Vote is counted!

strike-ninja: Thanks for that. I didn't realize it at first, though I should have…..(sweatdrop) I'll be sure to revise it in the story!! Sankyuu!!

griffin blackwood: Short but succinct. Thanks!!!

x-EliteAssassin-x: (bows) thank you SOOOO much for the information!! It will really help, whether or not the pairing works out. I do need to write her in at some point… Thank you again!! Arigato Gosaimasu!!!!!!

dragonlor562: true true. I could agree. Thanks for the review!!

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**BMF**: If you sign in and review, I will be much more likely to reply through an email!!! I would actually prefer a signed review but to each their own. Thanks for reading and the little purple button feels unloved. Click and make it happy!!!


	5. Interlude to Wave

NEW CHAPTER NEW CHAPTER NEW CHAPTER!!

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Naruto appeared in the center of his living room, right beside the table piled high with papers. He groaned. "I swear that stupid table has some obscure jutsu on it just to acquire paperwork and leave it sitting there for its own pleasure. I just haven't figured it out." He was sorely tempted to break the damn piece of furniture but was stopped short of actually hitting it by yet another obscure jutsu he had no prior knowledge of. Resigned, he gave up on it. "Kyuubi, wanna help?"

**You're joking right? Hell no!**

"What a grateful demon you are."

**Hey, I am not required to do the damn paperwork for you. Deal with it on your own. Besides, you're supposed to leave tonight for that mission the Hokage wants you on, remember?**

"Yes, I do." Shudders wracked his body at the moment and he felt his mind slip, his control falter. He wasn't ready, wasn't expecting it and he was driven to his knees as his arms wrapped around him. Deep within, Kyuubi sighed, wondering how bad it would be this time. This time, it happened sooner than expected. Ever since Naruto had emerged from Hirogenshi's lair, his mind had split, each one separately there to deal with different situations. Each personality had a connection with each other, but Naruto, dominant Naruto, had little control over when they emerged. They were all not pleasant, save the 'real' Naruto. One was playful and sadistic, one cold and emotionless and honorable, one cruel and heartless, one distant and polite, and one that was hyper and happy. There was one more, however, one more that had no notion of humanity, no idea of human suffering, what it meant for another to be in pain. He could kill without remorse and even enjoyed it. He could torture and laugh, he could talk his way out of any situation and make the other think it was all their idea, he was loyal-less. But the worst part of all was his depression. He was so depressed that his cynicism no longer stopped at mere sarcastic remarks but was channeled into full blown mania sometimes. Naruto's arms were scarred deeply, not just by the work of the mad doctor but by the kunai of Naruto's own hand. Kyuubi could do little more than try to keep his jailer alive. The child-Naruto seated himself in a corner and cried soundlessly, holding the pain of an entire life within him. The tiny shoulders quivered, but it was soundless. The demon watched on with a heavy heart. So, in an effort to revert the boy who was his only company sometimes to his usual soft, quite-spoken self, Kyuubi willed the part of Naruto that was _him_ to vanish, to no avail. This was the real Naruto, hidden behind so many barriers. This was the Naruto that the world feared. This was Owari Kubaru, nightmare of legends.

Naruto jolted, then his eyes open, revealing their normal turquoise shade. He had emerged for the time being, and he would not retreat until he was left with no choice. Owari Kubaru was back and the world had hell to pay for.

He languidly rose to his feet, shedding the genjutsu as he did. His skin paled and bronzed simultaneously, something seemingly impossible. His hair lightened, his eyes tilted, ears pointed and the cat-like resemblances emerged. His tail flicked around his waist, his ears twitching. The eyes of Naruto, usually a sky-blue azure, now the turquoise of the sea, were filled with inexplicable pain as he seated himself on the rotting sofa and pulled out a kunai. He lowered it against his own skin, hesitating, then raked it across his forearm, leaving a deep, bleeding gash that quickly healed itself up, leaving only a faint scar. Owari growled deep in his throat. It always did this, whenever he was out, it always eluded him, this death he sought so dearly. He wanted to end this pain, to feel something, something he knew was missing. It was there, somewhere, but he had lost it so long ago he wasn't sure what it was. So, in desperation that had welled up deep inside, he carved into his arm once more, writing his name in blood. _Owari Kubaru_. It too healed quickly, leaving the outline of the words he had become. He tried again, again, and again. It was to no avail. Nothing. He wasn't even loosing body heat. He wasn't dying. He couldn't escape.

"Damn him to hell," he whispered softly, throwing the kunai across the room and watching as it embedded itself into the wall. He could hear Kyuubi calling, but the demon was ignored. He didn't have time for Kyuubi. He had a mission. He remembered that. He had a mission to fulfill, one simple but stress relieving. He had people to deliver their ends to, people who could be granted a death he could never have.

With a sigh of contempt for life itself, he walked to a hidden closet and removed a trench coat, black with bloodstains dried into the leather, and a mask, along with an ANBU cloak and the swords that went with it. The trench coat was swung on, over his normal attire of long, black pants that were tight fitting at the waist and flowing out to baggy cargo jeans. His tank-top, covered in blood he didn't feel like removing, was white. He wore well-fitting shoes that wouldn't get in his way and provided him above average footing.

**Owari, if you insist on taking command, you will create that bushin, now. I do not want to have to explain to Naruto why he doesn't have an excuse as for his absence for a week. Now, do it or I will.** Kyuubi growled. Owari groaned.

"_Why should I? That brat is absent enough anyway."_

**Technically, he is not. His bushin is always at the academy for him when he cannot, ever since his tenth birthday. Do it Owari, or I will yank your control away.**

"_You don't have the strength to do that!" _Owari scoffed. Kyuubi raised a metaphorical eyebrow.

**You do realize you are talking to the most powerful demon in existence, correct?**

"_I wouldn't say that. And you still couldn't take me and shove me in the back corner like you so desperately want to."_

Kyuubi released some of the limitations he could on his chakra and felt it swirl about him, dancing as if a blaze. Owari shrunk back. **Care to try me?** Owari growled lowly but shook his head and Kyuubi reined his power in.

"_Fine, fine, I will. This had better not ruin my plans though."_ Owari cursed quietly then muttered under his breath "Fukusei Kopi Bushin no Jutsu." A number of handseals later and the exact copy of Naruto, the henged one, stood in front of Owari. The self-proclaimed demon wanted to hit him, just as a stress reliever, but held back. Kyuubi nudged him to finish it up. "I'm going, I'm going, hold on. Sozo Omoide." The ever cliché flash of light later and the Naruto bushin was headed to bed, with the memories that were forever stored for later information. He was going to beat Sasuke-teme and pass to become a genin, then Hokage! It made Owari want to pound the overly-hyper being into the ground on a good day.

**You have a meeting with the Hokage tonight. Miss it and you will pay dearly later. **Kyuubi prodded him. Owari dug his nails into his skin and restrained a primal urge to kill something, anything. Growling, he vanished in a swirl of light that faded into black quickly, leaving a sleeping Naruto-bushin behind for a later date.

At the moment he shushuned into the hokage's office, the man himself was sleeping on a stack of papers, clearly trying to regain some of his lost sleeping hours. Owari restrained the mental urge to slice his throat just to see if he could and remained a stone statue. This was just as amusing. Finally, impatient and wanting to kill, he laughed softly, placing a kunai at the base of Sandaime's throat. He could feel the hokage freeze in his seat, muscles tensing and jaw clentching. A hand, old and wrinkled, reached for his side.

"Ah ah ah, I wouldn't do that. It wouldn't be good for your health," Owari commented emotionlessly. Sandaime's hand froze.

"Owari Kubaru. To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" The hokage made to turn around, but was halted by a firm hand on his shoulder.

"That is also not recommended. Stay still. I have a request of sorts from a contact for the death of a certain man and his corporation. I thought it wise to inform you of my leaving, and to also inform you that the one you call Naruto left as I was coming in. He was in a hurry and asked me to tell you of his leaving and that he knows what is required of him. I will not be contactable for a few weeks more." Sandaime nodded, making a mental note to himself to berate Naruto when he came back for not informing him, but he wouldn't say anything to Owari Kubaru. You did not say anything to him that could potentially piss him off if you wished to keep your life.

"I understand Owari Kubaru. Thank you for telling me."

Owari Removed the Kunai and stepped back. "Keep yourself on high alert, Hokage. You never know who might drop in." This said, Owari vanished. Sarutobi sighed heavily and leaned back, wondering how long it had really been since someone had gotten behind him and held his life in their hands like putty. He couldn't remember, it had been too long. He let his head fall into his hands and lamented on what he would do with Naruto. How he would explain things to Kakashi, since it was most likely the hyper bushin would be taking Naruto's place.

Naruto, Owari Kubaru at the moment, rushed headlong into the forest, the wind whipping past him, his hair streaming and the feeling of moving, his muscles preparing for each spring and recoil, was a wonderful one. The boy simply enjoyed the outdoors, the peace that he could not have for himself. The land of waves was no more than a seven hour trip, if a decent speed was kept. Owari certainly knew that speed.

Letting part of his mind concentrate on the movements of his feet and the next leap and land, the assassin turned inward to wonder on his new mission. Naruto, that prat, hadn't relayed much to him before vanishing, and all he knew was the name of the man he was to kill and his location. Gatou in the Land of Waves. It didn't really help that much. He didn't doubt his ability to gather the information he required, but the land of the waves was at least half a night's run from his current location, and he was, no doubt, going to run into someone between here and there that would interrupt his plan. He knew of a certain someone lingering on the edges of his conscious awareness that would pose problems if he decided to intervene.

Throughout the entire trip, Owari Kubaru ran into no one, to his surprise. Though the person he had sensed earlier that night remained just within his range, he was never stopped. And he had gathered all required information about Gatou and his location that he would need. He had, apparently, two jounin or higher level nins who were his hired help. Owari looked forward to the tussle. It would be another match for his life, and he might just loose this one.

That, though, he highly doubted. It was unlikely that anyone Gatou managed to hire would be that much of a challenge, but he could always look forward to something.

--POV Switch--

He wondered when the boy he knew changed. This child, this assassin, was not the boy he used to spar with, puzzle over and cause havoc with. This was not the child he had destroyed all he cared about for. And that though saddened him greatly. He missed that half smile, the victory march at a prank well pulled, the laugh, the soft, inquisitive voice that pointed out just what you had missed in the most obvious fashion.

This child was too dark, too blood thirsty, too depressed to be the child he had left behind in Konoha. He was going to find out why.

He had been waiting for him to leave on his own, leave the boundries of the village he had been forbidden to enter. He wanted to watch this person, to see just who he had become in the seven years since he had left.

And he could feel the dark wave of power left behind in the boy's wake, along with the desperate desire to fight, to fight and to kill and to die in return.

And the red eyes widened in wonder.

This was surely not the child he had left behind.

And he would find out why.

--POV Switch--

Owari knew when he was being followed. He knew it the moment he was out of Konoha. But he didn't really care. The person following him was somewhat familiar to him. He knew who it was, somewhere among the memories he had abandoned, but he couldn't quite remember.

He let it go for now. He would find out just who it was in a little while. At the moment, he had an overeating fat man to destroy, and he wouldn't let someone who wasn't bothering him interrupt his hunt.

Wave wasn't that far from his current position, and he could actually see the mansion that Gatou called his own. This night was turning out better than he thought.

And the moment he sensed two auras that were much stronger than he had expected, the hair on his arm rose to the challenge.

Just what he was looking for.

* * *

**Kuroi**Has Returned with a chapter, though it is more like an interlude. However, this time, I have a much better reason. Currently, I am at lunch with eight minutes to go before I have to be back in class, so yeah, this was all I could muster but I though you all deserved something.

Oh, and a pairing has been, more or less, decided. ItaNaruShika, mostly. Mainly cause I keep getting requests for Itachi and Shikamaru, separately, and decided that this would be a happy medium. However, for thos of you who are reading this and dislike Yaoi, any and all scenes will be marked, it will not seep into the main action flow, and it is not that big on the scale of importance for me, mainly cause I can't really write it correctly. So, yeah, hehehe…..

Anyway, thank you so much for all the reviews I know I don't deserve. Thanks! Review thank yous will be given when I have much more time than four minutes.

Ja ne!!

Kuroi


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